SCENE I.
The Court of Bohemia.
Enter Polixenes and Camillo.
Pol.
I pray thee, good Camillo, be no more importunate:
'tis a sickness, denying thee any thing; a
death, to grant this.
Cam.
It is fifteen years8 note
, since I saw my country:
-- 363 --
though I have, for the most part, been aired abroad,
I desire to lay my bones there. Besides, the penitent
king, my master, hath sent for me: to whose
feeling sorrows I might be some allay, or I o'erween
to think so; which is another spur to my departure.
Pol.
As thou lov'st me, Camillo, wipe not out the
rest of thy services, by leaving me now: the need I
have of thee, thine own goodness hath made; better
not to have had thee, than thus to want thee: thou,
having made me businesses, which none, without thee,
can sufficiently manage, must either stay to execute
them thyself, or take away with thee the very services
thou hast done: which if I have not enough consider'd,
(as too much I cannot) to be more thankful to thee,)
shall be my study; and my profit therein, the heaping
friendships9 note
. Of that fatal country Sicilia, pr'ythee
speak no more: whose very naming punishes me
with the remembrance of that penitent, as thou call'st
him, and reconciled king, my brother; whose loss of
his most precious queen, and children, are even now to
be afresh lamented. Say to me, when saw'st thou the
-- 364 --
prince Florizel my son? kings are no less unhappy,
their issue not being gracious; than they are in losing
them, when they have approved their virtues.
Cam.
Sir, it is three days, since I saw the prince:
What his happier affairs may be, are to me unknown:
but I have, missingly, noted1 note
, he is of late much retired
from court; and is less frequent to his princely
exercises, than formerly he hath appeared.
Pol.
I have consider'd so much, Camillo; and with
some care; so far, that I have eyes under my service,
which look upon his removedness: from whom I have
this intelligence; That he is seldom from the house of
a most homely shepherd; a man, they say, that from
very nothing, and beyond the imagination of his
neighbours, is grown into an unspeakable estate.
Cam.
I have heard, sir, of such a man, who hath
a daughter of most rare note: the report of her is extended
more, than can be thought to begin from such
a cottage.
Pol.
That's likewise part of my intelligence.
2 note
But, I fear the angle that plucks our son thither.
-- 365 --
Thou shalt accompany us to the place: where we will,
not appearing what we are, have some question with
the shepherd; from whose simplicity, I think it not
uneasy to get the cause of my son's resort thither.
Pr'ythee, be my present partner in this business, and
lay aside the thoughts of Sicilia.
Cam.
I willingly obey your command.
Pol.
My best Camillo!—We must disguise ourselves.
[Exeunt.
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
